All Amber Allen wants for the holidays is 10,000 pounds of pet food.
Tucsonans can make that dream a reality with donations of pet food or cash at the “Pack the Pod” Pet Food Drive in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Cody’s Friends, a local nonprofit on a mission to feed animals in need.
Donations will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Cody’s Friends, 4702 N. Flowing Wells Road, and at Hermitage Cat Shelter, 5278 E. 21st St.
“I would say that 99.9 percent of those we serve are food insecure, and if they don’t have pet food, they will share their own food with their pets, so this pet food is a lifeline,” said Allen, executive director of Cody’s Friends.
Each week, the organization provides free pet food to almost 50 human service agencies including local shelters, Gospel Rescue Mission, Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, Caridad Kitchens, Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, Interfaith Community Services and Marana Food Bank and more.
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Cody’s Friends also fulfills individual requests for pet food from veterans, the homeless and others struggling to feed their pets year-round; during the holidays, recipients of free pet food include those who attend Thanksgiving and Christmas Community Dinners for the Salvation Army and Gospel Rescue Mission.
Last year, the charity donated 1.5 million pounds of pet food and supplies to people and pets in need through the efforts of 20 dedicated volunteers.
Allen emphasized that Cody’s Friends is all-volunteer and receives no tax dollars.
“We have no paid staff or administration; we started that way in 2010 and we have kept it that way. We want every dime to go to people in need with pets,” Allen said.
